Evaluation - Q6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?

I found it quite interesting to use the various technologies in the construction process of my film. I found using the camera at times tricky to use, for example at times, I found that movement of the camera caused distortion, which meant the quality of the film was low and the filming needed to be repeated. I fixed this problem by using a tripod which meant that the camera would remain stationary and at a fixed height.

Above is an image of myself securing my camera to a tripod.


I also found it troublesome to film when it was bright, as the light reflected on the camera lens and made it impossible to achieve a visible image. I resolved this problem by blocking the majority of the light with paper or editing certain frames so that the brightness is correct.

Above is an image of me practicing a handheld shot while using my free hand to prevent light from a nearby projector from obscuring my recording.


Since the majority of the shots in my film did not involve movement, I did not use equipment such as the Dolly. I also avoided using the dolly because unless the Dolly is used on a flat surface, then the filming becomes jolty and the film will in general appear to be low quality.

I have learned a variety of skills on editing software in the production of my film. I have used the editing software to include various transitions into my piece and crop certain scenes so that no inappropriate material was shown. I used I-Movie to edit my film. I chose to use this program because I was used to it and therefore I would be able to use it to a better quality, however, I movie lacked the precision that certain other programs may contain. For example, programs such as Final Cut Express would have allowed me to create a much more precise and better quality film, however I feel that as I was not familiar to this program, I felt that it would’ve taken a greater amount of time to create my film due to the fact that I would have to familiarise myself with the program before I began editing. I also found that with certain frames, I could not achieve the exact precision I wanted due to the ability of the I-Movie program. For example, the montage at the end of my film was not as quick and snappy as I wanted it to be due to the fact that the software would not allow me to make the freeze-frames any shorter. If I was going to recreate my film, I would probably consider using Final Cut Express as it will allow me to achieve a much more professional level off work. I found it useful that you could adapt certain frames so that they held a certain effect. For example, in my film I used the “x-ray” effect during my montage at the end of my film’s opening to create a supernatural feel.

I found it useful to log all of my work, as it allowed me to categorise my work which meant I could easily find the needed information to create my film.

This is me adjusting my camera so that it is parallel to the ground, meaning that I can film a standard shot effectively.